President Donald Trump recently took aim at the federal Department of Education, casting doubt over the future of various forms of financial support to local districts across the country and San Joaquin Valley.
In a “skinny budget” proposal released May 2, the president recommends slashing the federal department by more than 20% – cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from programs that aid English learners and migrant students.
California is home to more than one million multilingual learners, according to state data. In the central San Joaquin Valley, where roughly one in five students are English learners, federal dollars account for a notable portion of funding in school districts.
In counties like Fresno and Merced, education leaders are keeping a close eye on how changes in the federal government will affect local schools.
Trump’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year recommends completely abolishing a funding stream for migrant education and English learners, known as Title 3.
“To end overreach from Washington and restore the rightful role of State oversight in education, the Budget proposes to eliminate the misnamed English Language Acquisition program which actually deemphasizes English primacy by funding NGOs and States to encourage bilingualism,” the budget reads in a one-paragraph explanation of the funding cut.
“The historically low reading scores for all students mean States and communities need to unite—not divide—classrooms using evidence-based literacy instruction materials to improve outcomes for all students,” the budget reads.
The attacks on the federal agency come after the president issued an executive order in late March mandating the full closure of the Department of Education.
The order also required that any program receiving federal funds must stop any progression on “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs.
Following the executive order, the Department of Education issued a statement expressing its intention to continue to “empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families, and educators in their communities.”
The full closure of the department and implementation of the budget will take an act of Congress. It’s unclear when legislators will decide the department’s future.
What are these funds for?
Title 3 provides districts with dollars to provide professional development for EL teachers, principals, school administrators and create EL parent and community engagement opportunities.
The funding also provides resources to help recently-arrived immigrant and migrant students reach state academic and achievement standards.
In Fresno County, where one of the state’s largest – and some of its most rural – districts reside, federal funds are “critical,” according to the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.
“[Title 3] is particularly important to us in the Central Valley because they’re designed to ensure all our students can achieve English proficiency and high academic achievement,” said Superintendent Michele Cantwell-Copher.
On average, Copher said the county receives between $4.5 million to $5 million of Title 3 funding annually. Each district then receives funding based on the number of English learners and immigrant students enrolled in schools.
Fresno Unified – the third-largest district in the state– receives the highest allocation in the county, with more than $1.8 million granted for the last academic year.
“Without [this funding] we would be concerned about program objectives, instructional opportunities being diminished,” Copher said. “There would be curriculum materials, software and assessment opportunities that would be negatively impacted. We need that funding to meet the unique needs of our under-resourced students.”
The county office is keeping a close eye on how federal funding may shift in the near future, Copher said.
“We have been very persistent about communicating to the leaders of the state on how critical this funding is [for our students], but right now there’s no reason for districts to worry,” Copher said.
Some rural districts say federal funding is ‘very small.’
Small, rural districts in Fresno County are also not yet alarmed about the federal funding cuts. Mendota Unified in west Fresno has a student body of 4,000 – with nearly half designated as English learners and almost all coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The district receives up to $400,000 in Title 3 funding annually. The district uses the funds to support their English learning programs, after-school tutoring and summer school courses.
“It’s a very small amount of money, considering our overall budget is $80 million,” said Jose Ochoa, the district’s director of state and federal programs.
According to Ochoa, the district receives more than half of its overall funding from the state Local Control Funding Formula, which finances districts through a combination of local property taxes and state funding based on student demographics. Federal grants make up about $5 million of Mendota Unified’s annual budget.
In Merced County, the Merced Union High School District is also not concerned about major financial changes. The district – serving 11,000 students – receives more than $12 million in federal funding, making a fraction of its nearly $250 million annual budget.
According to district spokesperson Viviana Fuentes, EL programs at MUHSD are primarily funded through its general fund and the Local Control Funding Formula.
Meanwhile, the federal Title 3 funds allotted to the district are used primarily for its community liaison staff – which serve as communication links between home and school for parents and guardians. The district would continue to have those positions without federal funding, Fuentes said.
In the case of more federal funding cuts, Ochoa of Mendota Unified said the district is able to operate and serve its students with LCFF funds. The district is anticipating a small roll back of about $300,000 in its federal funding next year, Ochoa said.
“Obviously we’d miss it, but I don’t believe our kids will be impacted negatively to the point where we can’t continue to offer our current programs,” Ochoa said. “But anytime we can have federal funding, we’re taking it.”
